1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to water heaters, and, more particularly, to an improved xe2x80x9cinstantaneousxe2x80x9d in-line tankless, electrical resistance water heater, capable of operating at higher pressure.
2. Description of Related Art
Electrical resistance in-line water heaters are well known in the art. Examples of such water heaters are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,175,689 and 6,240,250 to Byron Blanco, Jr. The Blanco, Jr. patents disclose unitary electrical resistance in-line tankless water heaters, having plastic bodies, and either one or two heating elements. The in-line tankless hot water heaters disclosed and claimed in the above-mentioned Blanco, Jr. patents provide improvements in the art, which are still useful today. However, the present invention provides an improved in-line tankless xe2x80x9cinstantaneousxe2x80x9d water heater of a different configuration, improved efficiency and with a higher electrical rating, for use in place of or complementary to the hot water heaters disclosed in these Blanco, Jr. patents.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved and simplified in-line tankless electrical resistance water heater of compact size. It is a particular object of the present invention to provide an improved continuous flow electrical resistance in-line tankless water heater, which can be easily installed and serviced. It is another particular object of the present invention to provide an improved in-line tankless electrical resistance water heater having a water-heating/holding compartment with an enlarged heating element sealingly held in a bronze bottom closure plate and extending into the water heating/holding compartment. It is yet another particular object of the present invention to provide an improved in-line tankless electrical resistance water heater for providing improved continuous flow of hot water, and which is instantaneously responsive to the demand for hot water and includes a sensor element at the top of a water-heating/holding compartment to more accurately measure the temperature of the water. And, it is still another particular object of the present invention to provide an improved in-line tankless electrical resistance water heater in which the incoming water flows through a dedicated passageway in a shorter housing, and which passageway has an anti-siphon opening therein, and wherein the housing includes a control device for operating a double-coil heating element having a higher electrical rating, immovably and sealingly held in a metallic end plate.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing an improved in-line tankless xe2x80x9cinstantaneousxe2x80x9d electrical resistance water heater in which cold water enters a top inlet of a body and flows through a dedicated passageway formed in the body. The dedicated passage includes an anti-siphon opening to prevent accidents and cold water flowing through the passageway enters into two separate water chambers formed in a flow sensing/heat activating means and then with an inlet near a lower end of the body into a water-heating/holding compartment having an enlarged heating element therein. When a hot water faucet connected to an outlet of the water-heating/holding compartment is opened, the enlarged heating element is actuated to instantly heat the water in the compartment. When the hot water faucet is closed or shut off, the enlarged heating element is shut off.